Folding table



March 13, 1934. a. E. wlLLETT FOLDING TABLE Filed May 2s, 19525517/22??? A@ SI Rim Sl ATTR/VEY Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATESFoLnING TABLE Benedict E. Willett, Dayton. ohio, assigner to FergusonBrothers Manufacturing Company, Hoboken, N. J., a corporation of NewJersey i Application May 26, 1932, Serial No. 613,624

5 claims.

This invention relates to afolding table and more particularly to a cardtable the legs of which fold against the table top.

l One object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism for soconnecting the several legs of the table that they will move in unison,thus causing all the legs to be operated when movement is imparted toone of them.

A further object of the invention is to provide such mechanism whichwill be simple in construction and can be produced and installed at alow cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a'mechanism whichwill be of a strong durable character and in which the connectionsbetweenthe legs will not loosen or become slack due to long use.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described indetail.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. .1 is a top plan view of a tableembodying my invention, showing the legs folded; Fig. 2 is a bottom planView of a portion of such a table showing a part of the actuatingmechanism; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line .3-3 of Fig. 2, lookingin the direction of the arrows and showing the leg folded; Fig. 4 is aview similar to Fig. 3 showing the leg extended; Fig. 5 is a sectionalview taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; lFig. 6 is a section on the line6-6 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 'l is a detail of one end of one of the links.

In the drawing I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention but itwill be understood that this particular embodiment has been chosenA forthe purposes of illustration only and that the mechanism may takevarious forms without departing from the spirit ofv the invention.

In this particular embodiment of the inven.

tion the'table comprisesl a'table top 6 which is preferably rectangularin form and has anges 'I depending from the respective edges thereof.The fiat upper member of the top may be of thin inexpensive material andthe flanges constitute a rigid supporting frame on which the.

legs and" operating mechanism are supported. A leg 8 is mounted at eachcorner of the table for pivotal movement about an axis parallel with oneof the anges, so that the leg will fold against the table top within theflanges and parallel with the adjacent flange. Each leg is pivotallymounted on a bracket 9 having a part or flange 10 rigidly secured to oneof the flanges 7 of the table top by means of a suitable attachingdevice, such as a screw 11. This bracket has an upper member 12 whichextends inwardly from the iiange to which the part 10 is connected andbears against the upper member of the table top but `is not attachedthereto. Extending downwardly from the respective sides of the upperpart 12 of the bracket are parallel ears 13 and 14, the ear 14 bearingagainst the adjacent flange 7. The leg has an upwardly extending partwhich projects between the ears 13 and 14 and is pivotally connectedtherewith. As here shown, this connecting part is in the form of asheet-metal extension having a socket portion 15, which embraces oneedge of the leg and is rigidly secured thereto, and having arms 16extending beyond the end of the wooden part of the leg. These arms 16are spaced apart sucha distance that they will fit snugly between theears 13 and 14 and a pivot pin 17 extends through the ears 13 and 14,through the arms 16 and is firmly seated in the'flange againstwhich theear 14 bears, thus serving not only to pivotally connect the leg withthe bracket but to rigidly secure the bracket to the second flange '7.In the present instance, the pivot pin is in the Iorm of a screw, theend of which is tapered and threaded to ,enter the ange 7. It will benoted that the pivot pin is spaced some distance from the top member 12of the bracket for a purpose which will herein- 'y after appear.

A flexible connecting mechanism extends about the edges of the tablewithin the flanges and is. operatively connected with the several legsso that al1 the legs will be caused to move in unison. In the presentarrangement, a bar 18 is slidably mounted on each flange 1, between theends thereof, and is here shown as supported in clips 19 secured to theflange. This slide bar is of a length considerablyless than the lengthof the flange and its ends are spaced from the ends of the flange. Theseveral slide bars are connected one to the other by exible members 20,here -shown as. flat metal tapes. Each flexible member is firmly securedto the ends of adjacent slide bars and extends about a guide roller orpulley 21 which is rotatably supported on the top member 12 of thebracket 9 and is arranged between that member. and the pivot pin 17.Each slide bar, is operatively connected with one of the legs 8 by meansof a link 22 which is pivotally connected at one end with the leg and atits other end with the slide bar so that each bar and its connected legwill move in unison. In the present construction, each slide bar has anintermediate part 23 bent inwardly and oilset from the flange on whichthe bar is slldably supported. This offset portion of the slide bar isprovided with an aperture 24 andthe adjacent end of the link 22 is benttoward the flange and has its end Aportion reduced in width and providedwith a finger 25, which extends in the direction of the length of saidlink but is offset therefrom. When the link is positioned at an angle tothe plane of' not loosen with wear. It will be apparent, therefore, thatthe several legs are so connected one With the other that when movementis imparted to one leg, to fold the same or to move it to its openposition, a like movement will be imparted to al1 the other legs. Themetal tapes will not stretch and the several parts are so mounted thatthey will be held ilrmly in their proper positions and will not loosenby wear. None of these parts are carried by the thin top member of thetable and therefore the operation of the device will not be affected bywarping or distortion of this top member.

Preferably a lock is provided for holding the legs positively in theirextended positions and, in the present construction, a bar 26 ofresilient metal is rigidly secured at one end to one of the flangesbeneath and parallel with the slide bar 18 which is supported on .thatflange. At its other end this locking bar has an upwardly extending lug27 which normally rests on the surface of the adjacent slide bar butwhich is so arranged that when the legs are moved to their extendedpositionslthe lug willent'er a notch 28 in the slide bar and will thusfirmly hold the slide bar against movement in either direction and willconsequently lock all the legs in their extended positions. Any suitablemeans may be provided for actuating the locking bar to release theoperating mechanism and legs, and, in the present instance, a plunger 29is slidably mounted .in the flange at a point between the ends of thelocking bar and has its inner end connected with, or arranged to engage,the locking bar.

while its outer end is exposed on the outer side of the flange so thatit may be actuated to press the locking bar inwardly and disengage thelug from the slide bar. As here shown, the inner end portion of theplunger is reduced in diameter and extends through an opening 30 in thelocking bar. The end of this reduced portion is upset or enlarged at 31to retain the same in the opening and a washer 32 is mounted on thereduced portion between the locking bar and the outer portion of theplunger, thus confining the bar between the enlarged end of the plungerand the washer.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wishit to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the detailsthereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in theart.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A folding table comprising a rectangular table top, a flangedepending from each edge thereof, a leg pivotally mounted at each cornerof said table top, a guide :roller` mounted at each corner of said tabletop for rotation about a vertical axis, a bar extending lengthwise ofand slidably mounted on each of said flanges, exible members extendingabout the respective guide rollers and connected with the adjacent bar`to cause said barato move in unison, each of said bars having anintermediate porton offset from its suDpOiting flange and provided withan aperture,

and to extend beyond said aperture when said link is in anotherposition, and means for connecting the other end of said link with oneof said legs when said link is in the last mentioned position, one ofsaid bars having a locking recess, a resilient locking bar having oneend secured to the flange on which said recessed slide bar is mountedand having at its other end a projection bearing normally on the face ofsaid slide bar and so arranged that it will enter said recess when saidlegs are moved to their extended positions.

2. A folding table comprising a rectangular table top, a flangedepending from an edge thereof, legs pivotally mounted at each corner, abar slidably mounted onI said flange and having a locking recess, aresilient locking bar having one end secured to sad flange and having atits other end a projection bearing normally on the face of said slidebar so arranged that it will enter said recess when said bar is moved toone of its extreme positions, and a link connecting said bar with saidleg.

3. A folding table comprising a rectangular table top, a flangedepending from each edge thereof, a leg pivotally mounted at each comerof said table top, a guide roller mounted at each corner of said tabletop for rotation about a vertical axis, a bar extending lengthwise ofand slidably mounted on each of said flanges, exible members extendingabout the respective guide rollers and connected with the adjacent barsto cause said bars to move in unison, means for Aoperatively connectingsaid slide bars with the respective legs, one of said slide bars havinga locking recess, a yieldable locking member mounted on the flange whichsupports said recessed slide bar and having a projection which bearsnormally on the surface of said slde bar, said projection being arrangedto enter said recess when said legs are moved to their extendedpositions.

4. A folding table comprising a rectangular table top, ailange dependingfrom each edge thereof, a leg pivotally mounted at each corner of saidtable top, a guide roller mounted at each corner of said table top forrotation about a vertical axis, a bar extending lengthwise of andslidably mounted on each of said flanges, flexible members extendingabout therespective guide rollers and connected with the adjacent lbarsto cause said bars to move in unison, means for operatively connectingsaid slide bars with the respective legs, one of said slide bars havinga locking recess, a yieldable locking member mounted on the flange whichsupports said recessed slide bar and having a projection which bearsnormally on the surface of said slide bar, said projection beingarranged to enter said recess when said legs are moved to their extendedpositions, and a device mounted on said flange to actuate said yieldablelocking member and move said projection out of said recess.

5. A foldingy table comprising a 'rectangular table top, flangesdepending from the edges thereof, legs pivotally mounted at each corner,a member mounted to slide in parallelism with a flange and having alocking recess, a spring actuated locking element secured to said flangeand having an end projecting for engagement with the recess of saidslidable member to act as part of a locking means for holding the legsin extended position, and linkage connecting said slidable

